Glen Ritchie
At their recent meeting, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents approved a number of faculty academic advancements. Among those promoted and recognized were five members of the Plant & Soil Science faculty: Glen Ritchie, Jyotsna Sharma, Brendan Kelly, Sanjit Deb, and Russ Plowman. The advancements, approved on February 25, will go into effect on September 1.
Glen Ritchie
Associate Professor to Professor
Ritchie received his bachelor's degree in Crop Science from Utah State University, his master's degree in Crop Science from Utah State University, and his Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Georgia. He joined the Texas Tech Faculty in 2011 as an Associate Professor of Crop Physiology, and is the current PSS department chair.
Ritchie's research interests include developing effective and economical water management strategies for crop production in the Southern High Plains, with an active research program examining plant/water relations in cotton and sorghum.
Jyotsna Sharma
Jyotsna Sharma
Associate Professor to Professor
Sharma received her bachelor's degree in Horticulture and Business from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, conducted graduate research in the field of plant ecology at the University of Missouri – Columbia, and continued her research training at Iowa State University as a postdoctoral research associate.
Her research investigates how biotic and abiotic processes interact to explain the dynamics of angiosperm populations and communities.
“Dr. Sharma has been a world-renowned researcher in plant ecology and conservation and a leader at Texas Tech for several years," according to Glen Ritchie, department chair. "Her promotion is indicative of the high value we place on her leadership within her research program, the PSS department, the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and Texas Tech University.”
Brendan Kelly
Brendan Kelly
Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure
Prior to joining the Texas Tech faculty in 2015, Kelly worked as a research associate and research assistant in the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI). He received his bachelor's degree in Mathematics and his Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech University.
Kelly runs the Cotton Phenomics Laboratory at the FBRI and holds a joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
According to Ritchie, he is “a talented, imaginative scientist with a strong research program in fibers, phenomics, and data analytics, well recognized for his success in mentoring students, obtaining competitive funding, and working on innovative solutions to the big fiber questions we have.” His research utilizes large cotton fiber phenomics data sets generated by modern cotton fiber quality evaluation instruments, with a primary goal to work with the research community and industry partners to improve the utilization and understanding of cotton fiber quality in research.
Sanjit Deb
Sanjit Deb
Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure
Deb received his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from Bangladesh Agricultural University, his master's degree in Irrigation Engineering and Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and his doctorate degree in Biological and Environmental Engineering from The University of Tokyo, Japan. Before joining the CASNR faculty in 2015, Deb worked as a post-doctoral fellow in environmental soil physics at New Mexico State University's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
Deb is interested in continuing his research efforts in soil and water resources management in water-limited and irrigated agricultural production systems, as well as other natural and managed ecosystems. His research interests particularly focus on applied soil physics, soil-water-plant-atmosphere relationships, spatial and temporal variability of soil properties, vadose zone flow and transport processes, and hydrological modeling.
One of his primary goals is to expand and diversify his interdisciplinary focus on basic and applied environmental soil physics and hydrological research and strengthen collaborative research efforts for sustainable management and conservation decisions. He is noted by colleagues to be an excellent collaborator and a tremendous resource for students on the principles of soil physics.
Russ Plowman
Russ Plowman
continuing appointment in a non-tenure position as an Instructor of Horticulture
Prior to joining the CASNR faculty in 2013, Plowman received his bachelor's and master's degrees in Ornamental Horticulture from Texas Tech University.
Plowman's research is focused on the selection and enhancement of native plant species, horticultural plant trial selections, and the development of lavender as a cropping alternative for the Texas High Plains. His teaching responsibilities are in horticulture and floral design, including Principles of Horticulture, Arboriculture, Floral Design, and Garden Center and Nursery Management. His classroom innovations include pioneering work in online floral design labs.
“Additionally, Mr. Plowman has one of the largest campus presences in our department, providing flower arrangements for the PSS department, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Texas Tech at large on a regular basis," notes Ritchie. "He has been recognized by President Schovanec for his creativity, and his work has raised the profile of our department over the years.”